Welcome to OrchestrateSales.com's Inside Sales Enablement Season 3 Enablement History. Where we hop in the Enablement Time machine and explore the past, present, and future of the elevation of a profession.

On Episode 11, Erich Starrett hosts Bob Perkins, the Founder AAISP, the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (now Emblaze) in the Orchestrate Sales Studios on the eve of the #digitalnow conference in Chicagoland next week (including a special promo code if you have not yet RSVP'd!)  

We begin with his origins in telesales to Inside Sales to forming the AAISP. And from where he first crossed paths with #SalesEnablement in the journey to modern day where Emblaze is partnering with the Revenue Enablement Society for track next week. 

Highlights from the episode include...

PAST:

⌛️ Bob was on the first ever Inside sales implementation of Siebel. "We used to pull out a stopwatch and time how long it would take to pull up a customer record."

⌛️ Bob and Larry Reeves held the first AAISP conference for 50 people in Minneapolis in 2009 using a sound system borrowed from Bob's church.

⌛️ By year two they had 200 and started getting calls from places like Japan, Afghanistan, France begging to start a chapter in their location.

⌛️ The explosion of Inside Sales created a need to scale the training of less experienced reps. Which created demand for Sales Enablement.

⌛️ Bob reflects on how Jill Rowley "The EloQueen" ushered the social selling mix onto the sales scene.

⌛️ In Bob's early experience the SES he talked with Scott Santucci about the similarities and differences between the two organizations.

PRESENT

💼 Sales is improving and growing with technology and with that growth there's need for training. Witness colleges that now have sales programs.

(Can I get an AMEN, Dr. Howard Dover Robert M. Peterson, Ph.D., Stefanie Boyer, PhD💧?)

💼 A behind the curtain look at the continuing evolution of the AAISP into Emblaze as Bob continues his transition from founder-operator to executive board member.

💼 Great salespeople make it about the other person. What does that mean? Empathy. Caring. Attention. Listening more than you're speaking. Those are the traits that winning sales reps carry. (shoutouts to Steve Richard and Dale Dupree)

FUTURE

🤖 The future of sales is being Amazonized. "We all know what Amazon is. It's everything. It's point and click, order, return, customer service, pricing, availability, everything at your fingertips, and sales is moving in that direction."

🤖 Leaders continue to need development. We should not lose an emphasis on enabling sales / revenue *LEADERS.*

🤖 What is the future of the AAISP in it's new incarnation as Emblaze? Where is "inside sales" headed? "We need to treat this profession like it's one of the most critical professions in the world."

🤖 Is AI friend or foe? What might be possible if AI enables sales to fully tap into their unconscious competence?

Please click 👇🏻, subscribe 📲, listen 🎧 ...and 🎙️ join the conversation! 

ORCHESTRATE Sales!

Erich

#RevenueEngine #DigitalTransformation

#RevenueEnablement #Orchestrator

#RevenueEnablement

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ISEs3 PROMO CODE for Emblaze DigitalNow Revenue Summit 2024 in Chicago

Hit salesenablement.captivate.fm/diginow24 and it will plug in promo code OSCISE automatically -- for $745 off of the Emblaze DigitalNow Revenue Summit 2024 registration fee! Hope to see many Enablement Insider Nation smiling faces soon in Chicago. Or, more specifically, *just* outside of the Second City ...on April 2nd!

Emblaze DigitalNow Revenue Summit 2024

Hello, everyone, and welcome to ISE Season

2

3, Sales Enablement History.

3

And we have not only some sales

enablement history, But some insider,

4

some American Association of Inside Sales

Professionals expertise on the show today.

5

I couldn't be more excited.

6

This is the first time actually

that Bob Perkins and I have

7

had a chance to cross paths.

8

I've heard his name going back

to, , the first time I talked with

9

Scott Santucci about the, Early

days of the sales enablement society

10

and the founding bob came up and so

i'm excited to unpack that further

11

but bob let's go straight to him.

12

He has been In this game for a minute.

13

He's been an inside sales leader

and pioneer very clearly all

14

the way back to 1993, which is

when I was cutting my teeth.

15

Actually, that's when I was

showing up selling long distance

16

door to door in Chicago.

17

You're the guy that's been

calling me a million times.

18

I'm going to kick your hiney, right?

19

Coming after me.

20

And my early, this is

how I learned to sell.

21

My early sales pitch

was, Oh, that's great.

22

I'm here to help that go away.

23

Those guys and gals won't

be calling you anymore.

24

If you just press hard three copies

and then you can send them to me.

25

So we were working maybe against

and or with each other at some

26

point, the inside sales team.

27

Bob founded the AAISP officially in

28

We're going to get a little bit into

the present and future in a minute,

29

but Bob, I'd love it if you just take

a minute to unpack the past, where

30

you've been, who you are, And a little

bit about the year to date of AAISP.

31

Bob Perkins: Yeah, I got into

sales and briefly carried a bag

32

and then moved into management.

33

I loved leading people.

34

But it was predominantly field sales

for a few years and a friend called me.

35

He said, Hey, there's this

telesales manager job.

36

I said, what is telesales?

37

He says it's sales and

you don't travel much.

38

You do it over the phone.

39

So I joined Unisys in 1993.

40

I have to say that was

transformational in my career.

41

Within a year, I fell in love with

this thing they call telesales and

42

way back then people, the last few

years we've heard the hybrid model.

43

We were a hybrid model in 1993.

44

Our telesales reps.

45

Traveled quarterly out

to meet key customers.

46

And we were discreet.

47

We were not an overlay.

48

We had our own quota, our own set

of accounts, and it was run like

49

a sales machine, like an engine.

50

We were the first ever Siebel.

51

Inside sales.

52

I guess we were called

telesales installation.

53

we used to pull out a stopwatch

and time how long it would take

54

to pull up a customer record.

55

It wasn't.

56

It wasn't pretty.

57

From there, I had a very long about

a, almost a 17, 18 year career in

58

Director VP of Insight Sales, Unisys,

Silicon Graphics, UnitedHealthcare.

59

And then when I left UnitedHealthcare

to go to a small company called Merrill

60

DataCite, it was a software as a service.

61

And then when I left UnitedHealthcare

to go to a small company called Merrill

62

DataCite, it was a software as a service.

63

I had a very small team and it afforded

me the opportunity then to finally

64

launch the AAISP, which I had I had

a vision and I would dream about this

65

thing called AAISP for about three years.

66

And I would tell my wife all

about what I wanted to do.

67

Finally, I had the wherewithal

to start it while I remained,

68

employed as a VP of inside sales.

69

we had our very first conference

70

I borrowed a sound system from our church.

71

Me and my business partner, Larry

Reeves, put on this conference.

72

We had 50 people.

73

And by year two, we had 200 people and a

standing ovation for what we had started.

74

Because everybody was saying, finally,

someone is paying attention to this.

75

Thing we all love called inside sales

and we brought forth great speakers.

76

We were getting senior leaders from

companies like IBM, SAP even Salesforce

77

to come and speak at our conferences.

78

I didn't even have an idea

of what a chapter would be

79

until after we formed AAISP.

80

Within a year or two, we were

getting calls from places like

81

Japan, Afghanistan, France.

82

They all wanted us, they all heard

of AAISP, And they were really

83

begging to, begging us to start

a chapter in their location.

84

And boy, the thing just exploded

beyond my, I thought we'd have one

85

conference a year with maybe a hundred

people near the end, we were just

86

under a thousand people in Chicago

87

Erich Starrett: That is amazing.

88

So shout out to larry reeves.

89

It sounds and you and The church community

back in the day getting this thing seated.

90

I love the backstory.

91

Let's take a moment to shift gears

towards the past Of sales enablement.

92

When did those first

two words come to you.

93

Inside sales That would be interesting as

well When did you first hear inside sales.

94

Bob Perkins: This is great.

95

This is a great question.

96

And I often say there's

nothing new under the sun.

97

And I'll give you, I'll

give you a great analogy.

98

And then I'll answer your question.

99

But the analogy is this thing

that exploded about 6, 7 years

100

ago called sales development.

101

Everybody's getting SDRs.

102

Everybody's getting BDRs.

103

The fact is sales development and business

development has been around for years.

104

It just wasn't called that.

105

In Unisys, we had a group called

CRR, customer relationship rep.

106

They were SDRs basically just

didn't have all the tools, but sales

107

enablement the function of having

someone help with support training

108

technology is not necessarily new.

109

However, The same thing with inside sales.

110

It was telesales forever.

111

And then we wanted to pretty up that word

because telesales reminded people that

112

telemarketing, nobody likes telemarketing.

113

So let's call it inside sales.

114

Inside sales has stuck.

115

We have a little bit of a phase of digital

sales five, six years ago, got popular.

116

So sales enablement, I first heard

about the term and the category,

117

this role about midstream through my

tenure at AAISP, which was somewhere

118

around 2012 ish in that range.

119

I'm, and this is just a guess.

120

And boy, did it take off.

121

And I had some conversations with a

couple of the founding members there, and

122

that thing was just exploding as well.

123

There was a convergence of this

thing, now we call it digital sales.

124

It's the power of the internet.

125

And even the phone and the web and

being able to transact, to support, to

126

prospect, to have meetings with folks

without having to go face to face.

127

Many studies, especially recently

are showing people, oftentimes

128

prefer virtual meetings.

129

Back in 2011, 12, 13, 14,

15, somewhere around there.

130

I got a hold of this thing called Zoom

and I started using it and I'd get

131

up at these conferences way before

people even knew what Zoom was.

132

And I said, raise your hand if you're

using video when you sell and not

133

10 percent of the hands would go up,

and I said, listen, you gotta do it.

134

It's the next best thing

to being there in person.

135

So that, that's the era we went

through that, so back to your

136

question of sales enablement,

137

And I thought, wow, a little bit

like this thing called inside digital

138

sales, a little bit long overdue.

139

And now it's, now you have to have it.

140

It's not even, should

we have inside sales?

141

No, that's a.

142

Table steak, you got to have it.

143

Erich Starrett: And so what I've heard

generally is the folks who were putting

144

those two words out there were vendors.

145

The Sales Enablement Society itself was

146

And Scott Santucci's work at Forrester

147

Forrester officially invest in and create

a practice and a business unit around.

148

Who were those for you?

149

If you could connect the dots for the

audience, what were those individuals

150

that you recall that were using those

two words or what was your exposure?

151

Bob Perkins: Yeah, it was you remember

when social selling got, had all the

152

buzz around it again, that was probably,

153

And oh, you had to be social

selling, and then word sales

154

enablement just started being used.

155

I wouldn't say it was fully understood.

156

I, hopefully it's more understood today.

157

But it became a thing and roles

started popping up for people that,

158

that their role was sales enablement.

159

Given that title, and I think

much like the S-D-R-B-D-R title

160

in a very similar fashion, it was

something that was born out of this.

161

This huge Engine that we now know, you

know back when it was called telesales.

162

It's virtual sales now And it's

enabled by lots of technology

163

Talk about the three legged stool

I don't want to I don't want to

164

Discount the two most important legs

to that stool It's not technology,

165

but it's people and it's leadership.

166

And then of course you have

tools to make it all happen.

167

Inside sales was explode.

168

We grew too fast.

169

I had this theory that we were hiring at a

rate that we could not effectively train.

170

We brought in kids right out of college.

171

We gave them a phone and a

computer and we expected this.

172

Revenue would happen.

173

And I think we got a little upside down.

174

I would say right around

175

And so, we needed to train better.

176

We needed to have better tool adoption.

177

We needed to, to somehow, bring

these less experienced reps.

178

Up to snuff on their profession.

179

Before there was this big

virtual explosion we had to

180

learn just like you learned.

181

You went knocked on doors and

you got, you got rejected.

182

You had to get back up and do it again.

183

And that was learning by experience.

184

We shortcut that I think a little

bit, and I think it, it hurt us

185

as a professional a little bit.

186

Erich Starrett: Interesting.

187

So you said that timeframe would

188

even a shift from inside sales

as the two words to BDRs or SDRs.

189

Bob Perkins: Certainly I put an umbrella

clause up there called inside sales

190

late, you could call it digital sales

if you wanted their virtual sales, but

191

that umbrella included this very popular

and expanding role called SDR BDR.

192

Erich Starrett: Got it.

193

And from a human being

perspective, again, we're all about

194

community at Orchestrate Sales.

195

Were there individuals, like when you

say social selling, was there someone

196

that you interacted with or worked

with as a subject matter expert?

197

Same with sales enablement.

198

Bob Perkins: Yeah.

199

Yeah.

200

There's a woman called

Jill Rowley, the EloQueen.

201

Erich Starrett: Every episode,

Jill is MVP of social selling.

202

Bob Perkins: I can still remember some of

her little sayings that have stuck with

203

me over the years, it was good stuff.

204

She did a great job ushering

in that, that social selling

205

mix into the world of sales.

206

Erich Starrett: And what

about sales enablement?

207

Any folks stick out to

you in the early days?

208

Bob Perkins: Scott Santucci,

of course, because he and I

209

met on a number of occasions.

210

We did a couple of joint, I know we

did a joint meeting out here in Phoenix

211

with the Sales Enablement Society and

A-A-I-S-P before we got acquired by CVI.

212

I would say that was right

213

So there's been some joint meetings.

214

I understand.

215

Since my retirement and selling AAISP

to CVI, that there was a joint meeting

216

recently between Revenue Enablement

Society and Emblaze down in Atlanta,

217

which I heard was very successful.

218

So it's great to see the two

organizations working together.

219

I now live in Arizona, but we did

a joint meeting, which I thought

220

was excellent out here in Phoenix.

221

And some of the SES members came

out, the AAISP members came out.

222

We had a couple of different topics.

223

One of which of course was sales

enablement that we talked about.

224

And we, I would say we probably

did that in a handful of chapters.

225

Maybe some of which I

wasn't even aware of.

226

We had.

227

Gosh, we had upwards to 60, 70 chapters

globally couldn't keep track of them.

228

And I know sales enablement society

had probably as many, if not

229

more even just here in the U S.

230

I think there, there were

two distinct differences.

231

During the time that at least I

had connection connectivity with

232

Scott and team and that is we had

been up and running for a while.

233

We were a for profit organization.

234

We had very large sponsorship packages

upwards into the 100, 200, 000 dollars,

235

and I remember talking with Scott a

little bit about hey, I'm happy to

236

share a little bit of our framework.

237

I believe at the time they were a

kind of a loosely put together non,

238

non for profit, which by the way when

239

Going the nonprofit route.

240

I was doing this as a little bit of a side

thing because I was passionate about it.

241

And was advised by some

friends and attorneys to go

242

the LLC route, which we did.

243

And, that, structure allowed

us to charge for conferences and

244

memberships and trainings, and

then have a sponsorship package.

245

And we, at our height, we had

about 12 or 13 full time employees.

246

As well and without that forget

it we you know, larry reeves and

247

I we were staying up late at night

Putting this thing together the

248

first year or two before we hired

our first employee it was a fun time.

249

I'll tell you a lot of work.

250

Erich Starrett: That's exciting.

251

So in that process, then there

wasn't an early partnership, just

252

a, an awareness of each other of the

sales enablement society and AAISP.

253

Bob Perkins: Yeah, not a formal

but we had , a couple of the

254

folks speak at our conferences.

255

It was a good thing.

256

Sales enablement was, part of every

year we would pull the leaders coming

257

to the, let's say the leadership

summit and executive retreats, AAISP.

258

And we said what's top of mind.

259

And I will tell you this tools and

technology, which I would bucket

260

under sales enablement was almost

always in the top three or four.

261

So we would always provide what's

the latest and greatest in the tech

262

stack, for example, we'd have speakers.

263

And so that's why we were.

264

Open to and honestly, eager

to tap into the resources of

265

the Sales Enablement Society.

266

Erich Starrett: So let's move

forward a little bit on the timeline.

267

The SES.

268

announced just last year in October at

269

were evolving to shift from being the

sales to the revenue enablement society.

270

Do you have a strong

opinion on that shift?

271

Bob Perkins: Okay yet another role,

if you will, or function, you could

272

call it a role or function, revenue

operations, revenue enablement

273

I would, putting my historical hat on for

a moment and looking from past to present

274

to future, it appears to me that this

big umbrella called the sales Profession

275

has diversified and it has role.

276

specification.

277

It used to be that if you were

a sales rep, you did it all.

278

You, and I go back to, and from your

beginning, I go back and say I, I had

279

to prospect, I had to make sure my

CRM back then was, a DOS based ACT!

280

Program.

281

I had to make sure I had all that right.

282

We didn't have SDRs, BDRs.

283

We, and we had to do everything and the

diversification started coming in, they

284

started separating lead gen from selling

285

I don't think this is

something like brand new.

286

I think it's really specifying a role.

287

And I think it's also an attempt.

288

To cross functionally recognize

that, yes, it takes an order before

289

anything happens at a company.

290

Let's you and I call it what it is.

291

If you don't have a sale, you have

nothing, but I do believe that it

292

takes many people and things to

make that sale and I think I think

293

we're seeing role specification.

294

In part due to the, I think the

profession of sales is getting a better

295

name than it did 20, 30 years ago.

296

It's an honorable profession.

297

And, with that comes the fact that

there's growth, there's technology

298

growth, there's need for training.

299

Look at the colleges that are now,

they have selling sales programs.

300

They train college age kids.

301

About crm about selling about

prospecting and it's fantastic.

302

We didn't have that 30 years

ago We barely had a few handful

303

of colleges doing it now.

304

We have hundreds So I think we're

seeing the evolution and the

305

continued Improvement and focus on the

profession of sales and that's in part.

306

I think that's Why you're, why you have

a focus on this thing called revenue

307

operations or revenue enablement, because

it's really important without revenue.

308

You don't have anything.

309

Here's what I can tell you.

310

The term inside sales is

near and dear to my heart.

311

It's it, I'm wearing a shirt that

says AAISP inside sales, but you can

312

just, you can call it digital sales.

313

You can call it virtually,

you can call it sales.

314

And I think the same thing

holds true for, you have a very

315

specific need for sales training.

316

Okay, that could fall

under sales enablement.

317

It could fall under something called

revenue enablement revenue operations

318

i'm not sure if it matters whether

you call it inside or digital sales.

319

It's pretty much the same thing but we

know there's a need for it and there's

320

a focus on it I think that's why

these names emerge And this might be

321

a good analogy maybe not, with sales

enablement and sales operations,

322

revenue operations, revenue enablement.

323

And that is, I believe in

part the term digital sales.

324

in part was adopted to say, you

know what, this is not just someone

325

on the phone making phone calls.

326

And it's more than that.

327

And it's more sophisticated than that.

328

And it's, and we're budgeting

more money to grow digital sales.

329

And it's the whole universe of

the customer being web savvy.

330

I like to say the future of

sales is being Amazonized.

331

What do I mean by that?

332

We all know what Amazon is.

333

It's everything.

334

It's point and click, order, return,

customer service, pricing, availability,

335

everything at your fingertip, and

sales is moving in that direction.

336

So I coined this term years ago.

337

We're becoming, sales

is becoming Amazonized.

338

And hence the need for Sales Enablement,

Revenue Operations and so on.

339

Erich Starrett: So as we're shifting more

towards the present, maybe in parallel,

340

we had the sales enablement society

becoming the revenue enablement society.

341

We've also in recent years had.

342

The AAISP become Emblaze, my understanding

is it's the a American is now global

343

is part of the reason for a change

and the inside sales professionals

344

to digital sales is another part.

345

But instead of the global digital sales.

346

Association.

347

They went within Emblaze with a

tagline that it's revenue insights

348

that ignite and that is a definitive

source for digital revenue leaders.

349

So I would love to hear, I

clearly you went through a process

350

of transitioning the AAISP.

351

Can you give us a behind the curtain

peek on what kind of happened in

352

that timeline and what's in a name?

353

Bob Perkins: Yeah.

354

Let's just talk about the, the

point that we were acquired by

355

CVI and then the transition.

356

And after about a year, they came up

with a more modern a different name.

357

Number one, CVI was a great company to

work with because they really wanted to

358

take the strong suit of AAISP, no doubt

was the community people were very loyal.

359

They were very curious.

360

They were dedicated.

361

We had a tremendous community that

would come together, would share

362

openly, would learn from each other.

363

So CVI took that and over the last couple

of years have been really what I would

364

call expanding on that to have a one, a

broader appeal, not just to this team.

365

This word or phrase called inside sales.

366

It's beyond that.

367

So they're broadening the appeal.

368

They're also bringing some,

a little more of a scientific

369

research approach to what we did.

370

Not that we didn't, we did our

own research but they're a little,

371

they had more sophistication and

more tools and more, manpower quite

372

honestly to do a lot deeper research.

373

So they're bringing some

good science and research.

374

Back stuff to the community,

which I think is excellent.

375

And you're right.

376

We were global when prior to

CVI, we had conferences overseas.

377

We had chat from seas, but we

still had the, that a the American

378

word, which a lot of people

said, Hey, you really are global.

379

Do you want to change your name?

380

And we thought about it, but we said,

Hey, AAISP is so well known, people just.

381

I'd be out, I'd be out and

people wouldn't know who I was.

382

And I heard someone say, yeah

we're going to AAISP next week.

383

They, it was almost a noun.

384

And so we left it, but I think

that, the Emblaze, they wanted a

385

fresh, modern naming convention.

386

And their, the mission, the future.

387

Is to really grow as was our mission

and our future was to influence and

388

I'll use your term enabled, which we did

enable leaders, predominantly leaders

389

and sales reps to a lesser extent, but

enable leaders to lead better and to

390

bring what we used to call inside sales.

391

into the next generation.

392

.

393

That's when it sounds as if you brokered

with corporate visions and shifted

394

gears to being and continuing to

remain a part of it as a board member.

395

Is that correct?

396

Bob Perkins: Yeah, that's correct.

397

I sit on the board and give

them my input quarterly.

398

And I just got through advising a company

for about a year as an advisor and I'm

399

still speaking with a few other companies

400

. Erich Starrett: On behalf of the

community, thank you for staying around.

401

A lot of times that's where

things fall apart, right?

402

When the founder who had the vision and

Had the people who've used AAISP as an

403

everyday term, like Kleenex or Xerox.

404

Bob Perkins: I love it.

405

Erich Starrett: Where'd the guy go?

406

That's our man.

407

And he's the one keeping it all together.

408

So that's awesome.

409

You've been there through the transition

and speaking of transitions and

410

combinations the sales enablement

society, as they became the revenue

411

enablement society, I think had an even

more keen eye towards AAISP now and just.

412

last month released a press

release that there was a

413

partnership growing officially.

414

There, is a revenue enablement track

at digital now coming up in April

415

next week, which we have a code for

everybody out there in the listening

416

audience to get a great discount.

417

Were you part of brokering that?

418

. Bob Perkins: I was not part of that,

but it's certainly it's fantastic.

419

Number one, it doesn't surprise me at all.

420

It's high time.

421

I think when I saw the announcement

myself, I'm like, this is really good.

422

I'm glad to see there's a track on it.

423

Every year we would spend

lots and lots of time.

424

We did have a board meeting,

by the way, on tracks.

425

And one of my, one of the inputs I

made there was let's make sure that

426

we have something for leadership

development, a lot of times leaders, Or

427

the last one to get trained and coach.

428

Maybe that's something that'll

even be part of this revenue

429

enablement discussion point.

430

But I do think leaders still

continue to need development.

431

That's near and dear to my heart.

432

I had a conflict this year and this

will be the first year in, I'm going to

433

say 16 years that I will miss Chicago.

434

But you know what?

435

I may get a last minute flight, just

show up and, say hi to everyone.

436

Erich Starrett: The Crackerjack prize.

437

There is a Bob.

438

I can't wait.

439

Keep me in the loop on that one.

440

Cause I will definitely want to share

it out if, and when you are able

441

to join us out there in Chicago.

442

So Bob, we covered the

past and the present.

443

How about the future?

444

As the founder of the A-A-I-S-P, as

the man who has been the cornerstone

445

of the transition towards Emblaze,

what do you see in this space?

446

And by the way, all those positions

we've been talking about and the

447

specialization, can you talk a little

bit down the vein of what was then inside

448

sales and is now multiple things and as

well, what was then A-A-I-S-P and what.

449

Does good look like in that community

as it continues to evolve with your

450

guidance as well on the executive board

451

Bob Perkins: This is a probably the

best and probably the hardest question

452

I've been asked in a long time.

453

And I you hit the nail on

the head with that question.

454

I wish I had a crystal ball.

455

People ask me would ask me

this question over the years.

456

Where's inside sales headed?

457

I really wish, I could,

I can paint a vision.

458

I just don't know if it's the if it's

the correct vision, but I'll give you my

459

thoughts on where I think it should go.

460

And I want to start with the

profession of sales as a whole.

461

.

And by the way, I would bucket sales enablement in there.

462

I would bucket revenue enable

enablement, revenue ops.

463

I would bucket this all together, and

464

I'm going to go back to the

three legged stool for a minute.

465

People we need to start with people.

466

It's all about, it is all about people.

467

We know through research that

hitting quotas is becoming harder.

468

Less companies are doing it.

469

We know through research and

questionnaires and surveys that Reps

470

are not getting coached adequately.

471

We know this.

472

It's not a surprise.

473

So I think in the future, we have

to double down on on training,

474

on mentoring, on coaching.

475

We need to treat this profession

like it's one of the most

476

critical professions in the world.

477

When you're an accountant, boy, you, when

you're a lawyer, you have to pass the bar.

478

When you're an accountant,

you got to get your CPA.

479

It's along those lines.

480

It's so good to see colleges

training young folks.

481

We need more of that.

482

When I was leading and consulting over

the years, people would say, can you

483

tell us if we're doing this right?

484

Do we have the right metrics?

485

Do we have the right software?

486

Do we have the right tech stack?

487

And I said, timeout, stop.

488

I'm going to tell you

right now, you want it.

489

You want to be successful.

490

Get a great leader.

491

Start with a great leader.

492

Great leaders build great teams.

493

It's a simple formula and

we need to embrace that.

494

The third one is tools technology.

495

Guess what?

496

Now we have this thing called AI

entering the landscape and all I

497

would say about technology is this

and I'll give you a good example.

498

When I started using zoom,

to me, it was a game changer.

499

Things like that can be game changers.

500

As a profession, I think we need

to make sure that the reps have

501

those tools that will not impede

them, but will help them and will be

502

productivity enhancements for them.

503

And I think that's where sales

enablement, revenue, enablement, revenue

504

operations can make a huge impact.

505

Let's, let's continue to find

ways to let people be people,

506

let them be great salespeople,

507

back in 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, there was

this thing called tech stack overload.

508

So I think the future holds

some interesting interesting

509

things in, in play for what's

going to happen with technology.

510

Whatever we do going forward.

511

We got to put people in the

center of this equation because

512

here's a great story.

513

I'm going to end with this little story.

514

There was this company that

had about a midsize company.

515

They had about 30, 40 sales reps.

516

I think they were about a 200, 300

million in sales and they had their

517

annual president's club and they

got all the sales reps together and

518

they were doing the annual awards.

519

And finally the VP of sales

gets up and he goes, the number

520

one was 180 percent of quota.

521

Is so and so John Smith, John.

522

Congratulations.

523

John gets up and He gets the award, a

nice trophy plaque, whatever it was, and

524

then dinner starts and the VP comes over.

525

John, congratulations.

526

And the VP happened to have his

iPad with him and he pulls up

527

statistics on John and there he is.

528

180 percent of quota,

but then he flips the.

529

The page to the next dashboard and

on there was number of sales calls

530

for the year out of 30 people.

531

And he said, congratulations,

but take a look at this.

532

You were in the lower third.

533

You were like eight from the

bottom with number of sales calls.

534

He goes, just think if you could even

improve that up to, 50 top 50 top 40

535

top 30%, you might've been at 200%.

536

John looks at the VP and says, with

all due respect, just think if all the

537

reps above me made fewer sales calls.

538

So the moral of that story is.

539

If sales were as simple as making

a call or sending an email or

540

doing a Zoom video, from a quantity

standpoint, anybody could be successful.

541

You and I know that Six very successful

sales reps are few and far between.

542

And you can't say, if you make a

hundred calls, you're going to get

543

10 meetings of the 10 meetings.

544

You're going to have five

go to demo of the demos.

545

Three are going to close.

546

It's not that easy.

547

A monkey could do it.

548

And so I would leave that thought to

the audience that, we, as much as we

549

are enabled to do a lot in a little

bit of time, let's not forget about,

550

the people and how important they are.

551

To the equation.

552

And there you go.

553

Erich Starrett: Orchestrate the, the

friction out of the sales system.

554

Don't focus on fixing the sales folks.

555

Bob Perkins: I love what you just said.

556

In fact, before we started this the

conversation today, I think you and

557

I offline, you were talking about

how you broke some things and you

558

were a little bit of a renegade.

559

You're very best reps.

560

They figure out how to

get rid of the friction.

561

Erich Starrett: They take that comp plan.

562

They figure out what's going to

work and they do what it takes

563

to get there and provide there.

564

customers value to keep that

revenue coming in, right?

565

Bob Perkins: you got it?

566

Erich Starrett: Final note I

loved what you said about AI.

567

A tagline for me is AI

curious human enthusiast.

568

And what I mean by that is a version of

what you just shared that I see AI as an

569

opportunity to off load the administrivia

and focus on your given gifting.

570

And if that happens to be sales

to your point, it is a skill.

571

It is a gift to be able to sell well,

to have the patience and to, in this

572

day and age differentiate by leading

with more of a loving kindness, not the

573

old school boiler room approach, right?

574

Thank you.

575

But as my buddy Dale Dupree would

say, being more of a sales rebel and

576

really doing things differently where

you meet each customer where they are.

577

Bob Perkins: I love that.

578

Erich Starrett: Oh, thank you.

579

Can you say, I know, and that's

part of the reason, Bob, we're

580

completing each other's sentences.

581

Where does that land with you?

582

And is there anything finally you'd

like to say in that future space?

583

about AI friend or foe, and what's

possible when sales is able to tap

584

into their unconscious competence.

585

Bob Perkins: I think AI ultimately

is going to be a friend.

586

It has to be, it, it will be.

587

We just, we want to be careful

that we don't substitute

588

it for what you just said.

589

I love what you just said about

empathy and, the, being the rebel.

590

Really what that says to me is,

you know what, Great salespeople

591

make it about the other person.

592

What does that mean empathy?

593

caring attention listening More

than you're speaking Those are the

594

traits that winning sales reps carry.

595

And you probably know steve richard.

596

Erich Starrett: I just reached

out to him the other day.

597

Bob Perkins: Yeah, Steve is great.

598

He and I over the years would say we

have a listening and discovery epidemic.

599

It's not good.

600

People want to get out

there and just sell.

601

Here's how great my product is.

602

Why don't you find out what's happening

with the customer really understand them?

603

Erich Starrett: Maybe this digital

cluster will ultimately melt down

604

and consolidate to the point where we

get back to that basic blocking and

605

tackling of listening, leaning into our

gifting and bringing value, recurring

606

value, recurring impact to our client

in whatever way we can present it with.

607

The portfolio we represent

608

Bob Perkins: It's exciting.

609

Listen, this whole profession

is so exciting to me and

610

what the opportunities are.

611

Maybe I'll stick around a little

bit longer and do some more

612

advising because I just love talking

about the opportunity we have.

613

Erich Starrett: Yes, please bob.

614

We're with the not just the inside

sales, but the digital global

615

sales the leadership All of us we

need you on the scene my friend.

616

Thank you So much for your time today

on behalf of your global community and

617

the global podcast community I'm sure

they've learned a thing or three as I

618

have today Any final words you'd like to

share on your way out the door for today?

619

Bob Perkins: I would just give you

a boost of confidence and good luck.

620

Wishes with keeping the newly

mi nted Revenue Enablement

621

Society, RES, front and center.

622

Let's partner, as best we can

623

Erich Starrett: We'll look forward to

seeing you on down the road, whether it's

624

the Crackerjack Prize in Chicagoland or

further on down the street, my friend.

625

Thanks so much for being here.

626

Bob Perkins: Yeah, good.

627

It was nice meeting you and

hopefully our paths will cross again.